Ques. What is meant by the “Valley of Achor” in Hosea. 2:15?
Ans. Our answers to this may be best given in the words of another-
“The circumstances by which God expresses Israel’s return to grace is of touching interest. The valley of Achor should be her door of hope. There when the judgment of God began to fall on the unfaithful people, after their entrance into the land (Josh. 7:2626And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. (Joshua 7:26))-where God acted according to the responsibility of the people there would He now show, that grace abounded over all their sin. The joy of their first deliverance and redemption should be restored to them.”
The chief interest to us of this beautiful passage foretelling the future restoration of Israel to divine favor, lies in the use the apostle Peter makes of verse 23 (1 Peter 2:1010Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:10)), showing that these blessings, though still future to Israel as a nation, were the present portion spiritually of any among them who accepted the rejected Messiah.
Ques. Will you kindly explain the difference between “God’s building,” where Christ is the foundation, and what men build; and that in Eph. 2:20-2220And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:20‑22), and 1 Peter 2:4-74To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, (1 Peter 2:4‑7), where there is no builder, and Christ is the corner-stone; the foundation consisting of the apostles and prophets?
Ans. In 1 Corinthians 3 the house is indeed God’s; but inasmuch as men build, that which is not a true stone may be built in; whereas in Ephesians, God being the builder, nothing but living stones form part of the house (as in 1 Peter 2).
Ans. The Holy Ghost who would be sent down in power, “because Jesus went to His Father” was not confined by a body to one place, but could so energize believers everywhere, that the gospel could spread far more rapidly and widely than even when individually proclaimed by the Lord, and supported by the mighty works that He did. The power was not in the disciples, but in the promised Comforter. The first fulfillment of this we see in Acts 2 in the mighty power that accompanied Peter’s preaching. It applies to those who labor in the energy of the Holy Ghost.